Introduction to Social Science
Why Social Change?
MINDS ON
“
The only thing that is constant is change.
~ Ionian Philosophy
Society is never static. Rather, it is always in a state of flux. People and their actions are affected by many factors and challenges – political landscapes, environmental and technological discoveries, new trends, and even shifts in popular opinion. The resulting social changes range from small-scale events in communities to larger scale events that have global impacts. In both of these cases, however, the lives of individuals can be altered.
Consider the events that have taken place in your life that would fit into these categories. What has happened in your neighbourhood or city that has altered the lives of the people who live there? What have you witnessed that has had global implications? This would be a much longer list if you included events of change that you have learned about in other courses or from parents or friends.
It inspires viewers to think critically and ask questions.
These events all have something in common – they involve people. Social change refers to any way in which social organizations are altered or transformed. This may involve the structure of society, its beliefs, behaviours, or interactions with others. It requires an individual or a group to initiate the change. Ultimately, the lives of many other people will be altered as a result. While change may be intentional or unintentional, it is often controversial, and it is occurring around each one of us every day.
We can also study many aspects of change. Is there a type of individual who stands up and becomes the force of change? What incites that person to action? What can we learn from studying, not only individuals or movements, but also all aspects of social change? What are the local and global impacts of social change? How do we study social change? Why study social change? As you progress through this course, you should begin to question the examples of change that are presented to better understand both its 'why' and its 'how.'
ACTION
The Study of Change
This course is centred on the study of social change. Many people feel that the world is changing more quickly than ever before, and while some people embrace this change, some struggle with it. Regardless of a person's outlook, change is a reality.
What do you predict will change in the future? View the following video to hear the predictions of others.
The movie, Back to the Future, presented ideas of what 2015 would look like when it was filmed in 1985. This article details the specific predictions. How many of them have come to fruition?
People also enjoy thinking about the distant future. These situations tend to centre on either problems that the Earth will face or solutions we will find to fix current problems. This article attempts to predict what the world will be like 150 years from now. Do you agree or disagree with this author?
Since social change depends on a variety of factors, including information that is not yet known and discoveries that have not yet been made, and because it revolves around individuals with their own free will, it is almost impossible to predict what changes will take place in the future. This applies even when we look at past events as examples. The best that can be done is to speculate and propose ideal scenarios that may inspire people to work towards common goals of change.
The question becomes, 'Why we would wish to study social change?' What can be learned from the past, and what can be influenced moving forward? Simply, it is important to understand how society came to look as it does today, including the numerous incidents that took place to shape people's outlooks and actions. From this, we can guide where we hope to go by embracing what succeeds as we continue to work on areas of difficulty.
Challenge and Change in Society
The content of this course will look at the different causes of change, the theories that help us to explain social change, and the results of change on society. Interestingly, even the name of this course has changed – in the 1980s a similar course was titled "Man in Society," until it was renamed "Individuals in Society." Does that conjure up different images for you than the current title of "Challenge and Change in Society?" What do you think may have prompted these name changes? Can anything be learned about the changes in the education system over past decades as you look at these various names?
This course will challenge you to reflect thoughtfully on both local and global social change. This will be directly connected to your culminating task.
The culminating task for this course will ask you to become personally involved in creating change. To accomplish this, you will:
- identify a social issue that is of personal interest to you;
- isolate a specific aspect of this issue that you believe you can affect;
- create an action plan to raise awareness about your issue; and
- evoke change!
To be prepared for this task, begin thinking about potential topics and ways in which you might go about raising awareness and causing change.
Change in the Social Sciences
Within social science, there are three main disciplines. Each of these disciplines examines social change, but from its own unique viewpoint. As the course moves on, it will likely become apparent to you which of these three disciplines interests you most. Mouse over the letters below to learn more about each of the disciplines.
SSDisciplines
Practice
Background
Take, for example, the Quebec Referendum, which occurred in 1995. The residents of Quebec were asked to vote on a single question:
Do you agree that Quebec should become sovereign after having made a formal offer to Canada for a new economic and political partnership within the scope of the bill respecting the future of Quebec and of the agreement signed on June 12, 1995?
To vote 'yes' would have indicated that Quebec would no longer be part of Canada but rather an independent state. To vote 'no' would retain the status quo.
The results were marginal: a decision of 'no' was returned from 50.58% of voters. Interestingly, the voter turnout for the referendum was 93.5% of the eligible population – incredibly high when compared to the turnout for other elections, indicating that this was clearly a polarizing topic for the population.
Through Social Science Lenses
This event of social change can be viewed through all three social science lenses. Revisit the interactive activity above to view some topics that may be covered in each discipline, then create a few questions about the referendum that you believe may be of interest to each of anthropologists, psychologists and sociologists. Remember that the answers provided below are simply examples and not an exhaustive list.
Change
Did a 'no' vote cause change? Not in the same way that a 'yes' vote would have done. However, it was certainly a kind of change. The referendum in itself forced people to become aware of the issues, to form their own opinions, and, in many cases, to attempt to persuade those around them. These are all aspects of activism that lead to change. In addition, those who voted 'yes' had to begin to adapt to a decision that they did not support.
Historical Change
While we will concentrate on contemporary change in this course, it is also important to have an idea about where we have come from and some of the events that have been historically influential in creating change. This slideshow will share some examples. Later, you will be asked to contribute your own addition to this list.
HistoricalChange
CONSOLIDATION
Writing Inquiry Questions
Questions form the cornerstone of research in the social sciences. After a researcher determines what is to be studied, she or he has to design questions that will help find the answers.
There is skill involved in writing good questions. An inquiry question is one that probes deeply into the topic while eliciting meaningful responses. In this case, we will look at the questions included on the slideshow above. Take a moment to reflect on how you answered the questions and consider how they may have been answered by others with different of life experiences.
Compare the following two questions on the same topic. If you were a researcher, which one would you choose to ask? Explain your choice.
- Do you like change?
- What is your usual response to events of change that are occurring in your life?
Here are some tips for writing good questions.
Resources
Access this Western Libraries presentation on Developing an Inquiry Question.
Writing inquiry questions and analysing the results gathered from your inquiry questions will be a main theme in this course. As you move through the lessons, use the Minds On examples to help you frame the lesson as well as to begin formulating your own questions.
Something to Keep in Mind
Many of the topics in this course challenge the personal beliefs held by individuals. They may deal with topics of religion, ethnicity, gender, morals, and legality. While you are always encouraged to have your own viewpoint, it is crucial to be able to articulate your thoughts and opinions in a way that is respectful of others. It is also important to remain open-minded to the possibility that your opinions may be influenced and may perhaps change.
Social Change Events
In this lesson, you viewed a slideshow of historical examples of social change. Now consider an example of an event (which is not covered in the slideshow) that caused social change at some point in history and develop a post for it. Be sure that the topic you select can be related to SOCIAL change.
Please include the following in your comment:
- a title for the posting that includes the name of the event;
- a description of the event, as well as the impacts or changes that resulted from the event;
- was there a specific person involved in leading this event? If so, who was this? What was her or his motivation or goal?
- a photograph or image depicting an event of social change;
- an inquiry question that goes along with the photograph. Identify which social science discipline this question would fit within; and
- a citation (website address) for the photograph.
Some topic suggestions are listed below and more can be found by visiting the History of Social Change.
- The Legalization of Same Sex Marriage
- The Invention of the Cell Phone
- World Wars
- Apartheid
- Truth and Reconciliation Commission
- The AIDS Epidemic
- Environmental Awareness
- The Industrial Revolution
- The Advent of Birth Control
- Canada's Response to the Rwandan Genocide
Remembering Social Change
Many people identify with events of social change as timeline markers in their lives. You will hear people say, "Do you remember where you were when you heard about…" The specific events are obviously dependent upon the age and personal sphere of the speaker. While some might remember political events, others might have more connection to things that happened in pop culture.
Write a paragraph about an event of social change that you remember. You might recall seeing it on television or in social media, or perhaps you remember a teacher or parent discussing it with you.
In your write-up, include the following:
- the details of the events (5 Ws);
- your memory of the event – where were you, how you learned about it;
- why this event is memorable to you;
- the social change that was caused as a result of this event;
- the impact, if any, that you personally experienced as a result of this event;
- how this event might be viewed from a psychological, sociological and anthropological lens; and
- an inquiry question that you would ask regarding the event that you have selected.
As we move on to contemporary events of change in future lessons, remember to consider issues from different social science lenses. This will help you ask meaningful inquiry questions that will help you gather information as you analyse events of social change.
Learning Goals and Success Criteria
Learning Skills and Work Habits